Roger Whitley's Diary: June 1690

June 1690

June: 1st. Sonday, I was not at church; about 5, Scranmore, Count Nossaw & severall of the Dutch officers came to Peele with Morgan & Minshall; they went about 7; the 2 last stayd all night.

2. Monday, Fletcher, Holland, Foster, Barker, Jordan;,&c. came to work; Philips of Barrow dined; Bidolph & Minshall went to shoote in the forest; Scranmore, & Solmes men went after them; Sir John Mainwaring retorned from London in the evening; Hussy came from Peover; Hardware & his wife to visit us & Traverse supt with us;,&c.

3. Tuesday, Mainwaring Bidolph & Minshall went to Chester about 11; Coxon & Johnson came to me from Shotwick; 2 Barrowmen about carrying of coales; Huson went to Chester in the sfternoone; Bidolph & Mainwaring retorned past 9; Huson about one.

4. Wednesday, dined at home with Mainwaring & Bidolph; took phisick, came downe in the afternoone; about 4 came 2 Lady Bellots & daughters; then the Bishop, Fogg & Angell; they all went about 6; Morgan came in afternoone; Huson past 10; Gerard came about 6, stayd an houer.

5. Thursday, Captaine Warburton came past 7; I did not see him; he went with Mainwaring & Bidolph to the forest to shoote, &c. Mr Fronteene & 2 other of the King's servants: dined with us; after dinner came Crew & Sherard; then an officer of Dragoons; then 2 other Dutchmen about quarters; Mainwaring Bidolph & Warburton came about 4; Fronteene & the rest went betimes; Crew, Sherard, Warburton past 7; Morgan went to Namptwich.

6. Friday, Bidolph & Mainwaring dined at home; some of the King's officers came to prepare the house, &c. & provision for the King; Golding the cook came to visit us; Bidolph & Bills, &c. went to shoote; Mainwaring went to Chester; severall people came with provisions; the Gentleman Usher & 2 other King's servants with him supt, stayd all night; soe did some of the rest; my sonne, his wife & children came from London & Jack Whitley & his wife; they went with Fowler & his coach to Chester; my sonne wife & children lay at Mr Traverse's; Roger came from London late at night, lay here;.

7. Satorday, severall of the King's servants came to provide for him; viz: Mr Isaack, Lambe, Clarke, Fronteene, &c. neare 2 o'clock the King came, with Lord: Portland, Scarborow; Overkirk, Solmes, Scranmore, Zulestein, &c. Dutch & English, the Bishop: & severall of the clergy, &c. the King went to dine, past 2; had severall of his noblemen & gentry to dine with him; he also commanded the Bishop: & me to sitt downe; Lord Warrington came when we were at dinner; sate downe; we were 13 or 14 at table; his Majesty did me the honor to drink to me; after dinner he talked with me a long while at the window; then retired, writ letters, &c. Sir Thomas Delves & severall gentlemen of the County dined with Mr Isack (who had tables provided in the Kilne) & the rest of the King's servants, officers of the Guards, &c. were provided for in one place or other; the King walked in the gardens, to the stables in the evening; discoursed often very obligingly with me after he came in; retired to his chamber; had some new layd eggs to his supper; went to bed before 11. in the afternoone the County gentlemen, clergy, cittisens of Chester & Recorder (who were sent to to..

[fo. 119r]

June 90. to know his Majesty's: pleasure about coming to Chester) kissed his hand; & in the evening my daughters, grandchildren, aunts &c ; when he walked in the garden he gathered cherryes & seemed well pleased, &c. there was a good supper prepared in the Kilne for those that would eate, besides many of the King's great officers & servants; Lord Warrington, Sir Rowland Gwynn & others lay in the house; I went to bed (weary) before 11 o'clock; Lord Brandon lay at Mr Hardwares, also Mr Row.

8. Sonday, (Whitsonday) his Majesty went from Peele to Chester; (Portland, Scarborough & Warrington in the coach with him interl); I, Bidolph & one of his servants followed the Guards, &c.( the Mayor, Aldermen met him at Boughton, the Livery & Bearers in the streete interl); he went directly to the Cathedral, sate in the Bishops seate; the Bishop attended him as Clarke of the Closet; then preached; after sermon took coach immediately at the church doore, soe to dinner at Geaton, &c. I had 2 pockets picked in the church & severall others besides myselfe; the Mayor invited me but I refused him; I, Bidolph & G.Mainwaring dined with Streete; severall came here to us; Bellot & I went thence to visit Sir Thomas Delves, &c. I left Bellot there; went to Jacksons; there were Bidolph, Streete, G.Mainwaring, my 2 sons, Warburton, Wright, Governor (but he stayd not), Colonel Harman, another officer,&c. I and Bidolph & Roger left them past 7; came home neare 9; found Mr Offley there, he stayd all night.

9. Monday, Bidolph, Offley, &c. dined with us; Offley went to Utkington in the afternoone; retorned past 9, &c. the 2 Husseys went away about 5.

10. Tuesday, 2 men came to see one of the mayds; they complained that they had theire horses in the field & had lost theire bridles; Foster came to be payd for his work; one Briscoe of Chester & his wife came to see the house, dranck a glasse of wine & would not stay dinner; Offley, Bidolph, Roger,&c dined with us; supt.

11. Wednesday, a messenger came from Sir Thomas Delves to let us know his lady was not well, soe could not dine with us; but would call to morrow; Bidolph Offley & Roger dined with us; there came 2 men to speake with him about Boudlers money, stayd not, &c. after dinner came Kelsall; sayed Lord Warrington & Mainwaring would be here about 3; would eate a bitt of meate, &c. but he went away about 5; his Lordship staying late at Chester could not call; Mainwaring came past 8.

12. Thursday, Nat Boothe came about 9, went about 10; Sir Thomas Delves, his lady, cosen Mainwaring, Foster, Forbes, Angell, Lee, &c. dined with us; after diner came Lady Crew, Mrs Offley, Mrs Aston, &c. these stayd till after supper; Delves,&c. went about 5, Angell soone after them; after supper came Sir Rowland Gwynne, Mr LeLeck; Roe: Manley; G.Mainwaring stayd all night, soe did Offley & Nat. Lee.

13. Friday, Sir John, Morgan, Bell , Taylor, &c. dined with us; also Sir Rowland Gwynne, LeLeck, Roe & that company; they parted past 5; Roger went about ½ houer after them in order to his going to Ireland; Morgan Whitley & Huson went with him to accompany him to the waterside; Mainwaring & Bidolph went to Cokaine about 6, retorned about 12; cosen Christian Powell & her neece came to see us in the evening; stayd all night; Jordan came in the afternoone to talk of work.

14. Satorday; we dined at home; no company; past 9 at night cosen Whitley came; I left him past 10 with my sonne, Bidolph & Mainwaring 15. Sonday, I went to church with daughters, sons, &c. dined at home; stayd at home; in the afternoone most of the rest went to church; sonne, Bidolph & Mainwaring retorned past 6; cosen Whitley came not back till past 10.

16. Monday, after dinner cosen Powell & her neece went away; 2 soldyers from Chester came to desire some drink; I gave them a bottle of ale; then they went away; no more company that day.

17. Tuesday, Mainwaring, Bidolph & I went to Chester (soe did my sonne, his wife, &c.) & cosen Whitley; we dined at Angells; visited G.Mainwaring & his wife; I went to 4 o'clock prayers; then waited on the Bishop; Dr Fog was there; then went to Jacksons; there was 2 Mainwarings Streete, Taylor (awhile) cosen Booth, Basker[ile) [fo. 119v] June. Farington, my sonne, Parry, Morgan,&c. we parted past 7; Bidolph & Mainwaring went home with me in the coach.

18. Wednesday, the fast day, we went to church at one; retorned past 3; dined at 4, Traverse came home with us, stayd till past 10. Huson retorned about 10.

19. Thursday, Huson went to fetch his wife home; Houseman went to a Cocking at Whitchurch; Mainwaring & Bidolph went to Dedington; Lady Aston, her mother & daughters; & Lady Crew & another gentlewoman dined with us; also Angell & my sister; they all went past 6; sister Angell stayd all night; Charles Griffith came as they went away, dranck but stayd not; my sonne went in the afternoone to Sir John Crew; he, Bidolph & Mainwaring retorned late after I was in bed.

20. Friday, we dined at home, my sonne, Mainwaring & Bidolph went abroad in the afternoone; retorned to supper (they met Crew at Kelsall) Mr Lee came to visit us in the evening from Lord Warrington & his lady; stayd all night; about 5 Yong (the Mr Davyes tenant) came to know if he could get any recompence for damage done to his grasse when the King was here; also for his cart, &c. & asked my opinion about advancing part of his rent upon his landlord & landlady's letters; but I refused to give him any advise in the matter; onely to gratify them if he could doe it with safety.

21. Satorday; Mr Lee retorned before 9. I did onely see him before he went; there came 2 Ministers (of his acquaintance) to speake with MainwarinG.Mainwaring went to Chester about 11; about 4, I & my sonne went to Tarvyn to the funerall of Mr Lorenson; where, after sermon, we had account of neighbor Grindly (Travise's tenant) being killed by his cart, coming from Chester; Mainwaring & Morgan came from Chester about 9, &c. Bidolph retorned about same tyme from shooting; & Houseman from the Cocking at Whitchurch: 22. Sonday, I went to church in the afternoone with sonne, daughters, &c. Huson retorned from Staffordshire; about 10; I spoke to the Coroner (in the churchyard) to be favorable to Joseph as to his brother.

23. Monday, Mainwaring went early to Badely; & Morgan past 9, to Chester; Huson went about 2 to Shotwick; retorned late, soe did Mainwaring; the Schoole Master of Tarvyn came past 5, to teach Roger Whitley his Book; went againe past 6.

24. Tuesday, Hooson the coachman, Broster, &c. went to Chester faire; with the wooll & to buy sheep; the husbandmen with brick to Shotwick; in the evening one Mr Crompton came with the coachman to sell me a horse; but I liked him not; he drank a glasse of wine, & went away; about 8 Delves came from Disart.

25. Wednesday, Delves retorned to Dysert; Huson came from Chester; and went againe (about 11) to Bechin & Wrexam; my sonne went to Chester & Aston; Broster to Chester to sell wooll; Angell dined with us; Furnivall's father & mother came to see her; dined over the kitchen, went in the afternoone; Angell went about 6; Bidolph & Mainwaring went to fish in the forest; retorned about 11. Gerard came with 2 Gentlewomen, to see the garden whiles we were at supper; afterwards I brought them in; gave them a bottle of wine.

26. Thursday, Mainwaring went to Chester past 10; Joseph came to trimme me; his brother was here also; I advised them together to agree about theire deceased brother's estate;,&c. I dined at home; past one went to Chester with daughters, sister Anne & Bidolph;. lighted at Wrights, went to Jacksons, then to Hunts; then to G.Mainwaring there was Bidolph, Anderton, Captain Grenhylle, &c. then went to Jacksons; there was daughters & sister; then went (with Crosse) to almeshouse, saw the widows, gave them 2: 6 a piece to theire fairings; [fo. 120r] June. went to Johnson's house, saw him & his wife; the little smith came to us; I promised to renew his lease; then retorned (Crosse with me) to Jacksons; there was Bidolph, G.Mainwaring, Baroby, Bret, &c. parted about 8; Bidolph & I went home together; daughters & sister in the other coach; a man brought a letter from Mrs Owens about Roger's debt; Mr Tomkinsons brother came this night to serve me.

27. Friday, dined at home; no company; Bidolph went in the afternoone to fish, & shoote in the forest; retorned late, soe did Mainwaring from Chester.

28. Satorday, I took phisick; dined below, Mr Greene came to see us (as he pretended) from Sir P: Egerton, his lady, & Madame Conwey; he dined with us, Mainwaring & Bidolph, but left us soone after dinner; my sonne retorned past 9 from Wales.

29. Sonday, I went to church with sonne, daughters, &c. received the Sacrament; went not in the afternoone; Morgan came in the evening;.

30. Monday, Morgan went to Chester; Huson, Broster, Tomkinson & 3 carts to Dysert; Vernon went to Elmehurst; Hardware came to Mainwaring then Goldsmith came to him; went with him to Chester; 2 men came about taking some land, (Thomas, Jones & his wifes sonne) they dined with us; in the evening, I & my sonne went to meete Crew at Kelsall (Bidolph & Hardwar went before us & left us presently) there was Arderne with Crew; & as we were parting (past 7) came Mainwaring & Goldsmith from Chester; we drank a bottle of ale before the doore & parted; Goldsmith came with us to Peele, stayd all night.